Who`s Best? Where Do You Live?

Debate Over Finest Player Rages Across State

Down in Carlyle, nestled in the heart of southern Illinois about 45 miles east of St. Louis, they believe they have one of the best high school basketball players in the state.

Phil Kunz, a 6-foot-9-inch, 225-pound senior center, averaged 22.7 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game for Carlyle, a Class A school with an enrollment of approximately 400 that finished the season with a 25-4 record. He is headed for the University of Illinois on a scholarship.

``In the southern half of the state, I don`t see a more dominating player than him, and I`m not sure there has been one in the last eight or 10 years,`` said Benton coach Ron Herrin.

Over in Alton, some 60 miles northwest of Carlyle, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, they believe Larry Smith is the best in the state.

Smith, a 6-2 1/2 senior guard, averaged 25.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 5.3 steals for the Redbirds, who finished 21-6. He hit close to 70 percent from the floor. Smith also is headed for Illinois.

``He`s the best player I`ve seen in this area since I`ve been coaching,`` said Granite City coach Don Deterding, who has been at the school since 1967. ``He`s one of the most effortless, coolest high school athletes I`ve seen in years and years,`` Lockport coach Bob Basarich said of Smith.

Kunz`s and Smith`s names might not be as well known to Chicago-area fans as those of Simeon`s Nelison Anderson, King`s Levertis Robinson and Marcus Liberty, Rich Central`s Kendall Gill, Crete-Monee`s Phil Henderson and St. Joseph`s Tony Freeman, but they are considered prime candidates for Mr. Basketball of Illinois 1986. The award is presented by The Tribune in conjunction with the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.

Who is best? Some in southern Illinois believe it might be Steve Bardo of Carbondale. Bardo, a 6-6 guard also headed for Illinois, missed most of the season because of a knee injury. He has played in only eight games, but is averaging close to 17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 steals a game. Similar debates occur in Chicago when one is asked to choose among Anderson, Robinson and Liberty, the big three of the Public League.

Anderson, a 6-5 swingman, is averging 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 5 assists a game for 23-0 Simeon, ranked No. 1 in the state and the country.

``I think Anderson is the top guy,`` said Mt. Carmel coach Ed McQuillan, whose team won the Class AA state title last year. ``He can do everything.``

Anderson, who transferred to Simeon from Prosser last school year, may lose some votes because the Wolverines boast such a talented lineup.

``If you remove Nelison Anderson from Simeon, they might still go undefeated,`` Basarich said. ``If you remove Larry Smith from Alton, they might have 10 losses or more.``

Robinson, a 6-7 senior, and Liberty, a 6-8 junior, could take votes away from each other. Robinson, who has signed with Cincinnati, is averaging 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 assists and 5 blocked shots a game for 24-1 King, ranked No. 3 in the state.

``Robinson is the backbone of King,`` said South Shore coach Don Pittman. ``Liberty does 360 dunks and hits 20-foot shots, he does all that, but when it comes to who is going to get that big rebound, who they`re going to go to in the clutch, who is going to guard the best player, who is going to be on the floor after loose balls, that`s where Robinson comes in. You stop Robinson, you stop King.``

``I know from playing King who will hurt me and that`s Robinson,`` said Robeson coach Robert Collins. ``Without Robinson, King would be through. King will be tough next year, but they`ll be in trouble without him.``

Liberty, considered by some scouting services to be the top junior in the country, is averaging 21.9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots a game.

``Marcus Liberty might be the second coming of Dr. J,`` said St. Francis de Sales coach Mike Kaczmarz. ``He might be the best thing ever.``

That, however, might not be enough to persuade coaches to vote for an underclassman.

``For a junior to get it, he`d have to be Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) or Wilt Chamberlain,`` said Rock Island coach Duncan Reid, whose team handed King its only loss this season.

Collins, whose Robeson team has played and lost two games each to Simeon and King, gives Robinson a slight edge over Anderson.

``I think Levertis Robinson is the most intense player in the city,``

Collins said. ``One-hundred percent of the time, he`s playing hard. I`ve seen Nick coast a little bit.``

In the south suburbs of Chicago, Rich Central`s Gill, Crete-Monee`s Henderson, Argo`s Joe Griffin and Homewood-Flossmoor`s Dick Seidel each has his supporters.